Monthly Archives: April 2011
American Indian Film Festival at Bellevue College
| April 28, 2011 | Posted by elissa under Events |
On May 5th, 6th, and 7th, 2011, the Eighth Annual Presentation of the American Indian Film Festival will be held at Bellevue College.
Steffany Suttle, a graduate of our Native Voices program, will show three films at the festival.
Awakening of the Spirit
Thursday 9:30, Friday 10:30
7 Minutes ~ 2009 ~ USA ~ Documentary
AWAKENING OF THE SPIRIT is a portrait of Master Carver Robert Peele (Tsimshian-Haida). Peele is now known by the traditional name that was given to him, Saaduuts. He has devoted years to teaching the youth of the Seattle, WA area, Native and non-Native, the traditional way of carving a canoe. As a boarding school survivor he has overcome many challenges over the years. Saaduuts now looks forward to the future, enjoys spending time with his grandchildren, and passing down the traditional ways of carving ensuring that it will live on for many years.
Fry Bread Babes
Friday after 6:45 keynote address
30 Minutes ~ 2008 ~ USA ~ Documentary
FRY BREAD BABES is a short documentary film in which six Native American women discuss issues of body image and identity, candidly and with humor. How were they affected by the lack of Native American women in mass media?
Strong Hearts
Thursday 10:30
17 Minutes ~ 2010 ~ USA ~ Documentary
STRONG HEARTS is an examination of violence against Native American women in major motion pictures, independent film, video games and television mini-series. The violence against Native American women is so common in mass media that it’s become “normalized.” The violence depicted is rooted in a brutal historical record dating from first contact and continues today.
UW Event: “Decolonising Theory: Centering Traditional Knowledge within Indigenous Theorising”
| April 26, 2011 | Posted by elissa under Events |
All are welcome to attend a presentation by Dr. Leonie Pihama, Indigenous Fulbright Scholar visiting from Aotearoa (New Zealand)!
The Presentation will take place at 6:00pm in Room 225 in Kane Hall, University of Washington, Seattle Campus.
Presentation Title: Decolonising Theory: Centering Traditional Knowledge within Indigenous Theorising
Within the academy theory has been historically constructed in ways that have maintained the centrality of Western thinking. This has been actively challenged by a range of Indigenous Academics who have worked to create decolonising spaces within University settings. The struggle for the affirmation of Indigenous theories has grown significantly in the past 20 years. In Aotearoa (New Zealand) Kaupapa Maori theory has been presented as an Indigenous theoretical framework that is grounded upon Maori language and culture. This presentation provides a discussion and critique of the notion of ‘theorising on’ Indigenous Peoples and argues for the ongoing development and articulation of Indigenous theories by and for Indigenous communities.
For more information on Dr. Leonie Pihama see iwri.org.
The Autumn course listings are up!
| April 25, 2011 | Posted by elissa under Advising, Uncategorized |
Even though Seattle isn’t even feeling truly springlike yet (the cherry blossoms on the quad don’t really cancel out the near-constant rain for me), the autumn 2011 course listings are up!
Registration starts on May 6 for graduating seniors (those students who have submitted graduation applications for autumn 2011 or winter 2012), so in ten days, these classes are going to start filling up. Here’s what we’ve got on the books right now:
AIS 102 – Intro to American Indian Studies (Colonnese/Washuta)
AIS 230 – Indian Gaming and Casinos (Wright)
AIS 271 – Native Peoples of the Intermountain West (Wright)
AIS 335 – American Indians and the Law (Cote)
AIS 378 – Northwest Contemporary American Indian Literature (Million)
AIS 451 – Critical AIS Issues
AIS 475A – California Indians (Dartt-Newton)
AIS 475B – Representations of Native Americans in the Media and Popular Culture (Dartt-Newton)
None of these classes require an add code. They’re open to all students, no prerequisites. Don’t wait to register!
Interesting objects from the AIS office, #1
| April 22, 2011 | Posted by elissa under Uncategorized |
In the lounge, there’s a box of 48 old LP’s from the “Folk Music of the United States” series from the Library of Congress Music Division’s recording laboratory.
Sample record titles:
“Songs of the Michigan Lumberjacks”
“American Sea Songs and Shanties”
“Animal Tales Told in the Gullah Dialect”
“Seneca Songs from Coldspring Longhouse”
“Songs from the Iroquois Longhouse”
“Songs of the Papago”
“Indian Songs of Today”
We also have a very cool USB turntable, so eventually, two years ago, I decided to put it to use and digitize some records. I managed to digitize “Sounds of the Sioux” before giving up–I hadn’t realized how hard it would be to figure out when one song ended and another began. I’m curious about the “Songs of the Anthracite Miners,” though, so maybe I’ll take the USB turntable out again soon.
Until then, check out “Song of the Grass Dance” (link opens an mp3).
AIS summer course offerings
| April 22, 2011 | Posted by elissa under Advising, Uncategorized |
Right now, we’ve got four courses on the books for this summer, with a fifth to be added soon. Take a look at the time schedule for more information.
AIS 270: Pacific Northwest Natives
I&S; A-term, MTuWTh 11:30 – 1:30; Professor Charlotte Cote
Examines indigenous societies on the Pacific Northwest’s western slope, from southeast Alaska to California, including social structures and relations, subsistence strategies, belief systems, and changes over time, both before and after non-Natives’ arrival.
AIS 340: Indian Child and Family
I&S; A-term, MTuWTh 1:10 – 3:20; Professor Dian Million
In this class we seek insight into the experiences of North American Indian families from several different perspectives, and foremost, those of American Indian families themselves. The instructor takes a socio-historical approach in presenting the traditional and future strengths of tribal families to protect and nourish their children. The class focuses on their challenges but is also focused on the solutions that American Indian peoples have sought. Topics include: 20th-21st century American Indian family demographics, studies of traditional family structures, western nation-state interventions such as boarding school and social science and social welfare management. It also discusses in particular Indian Child Welfare practices in the United States and some comparison of programs and issues in Canada.
This class is by its nature interdisciplinary and will lend itself to an opportunity for readings across a gamut of history, anthropology, sociology, women’s studies, social issues, health, political and economic concerns. Class texts, films, and music will be supplemented with speakers.
AIS 377: American Indian Memoir and Autobiography
VLPA; Full-term, MTuWTh 9:40 – 10:40; Elissa Washuta
This course will focus on Native autobiography, storytelling and memoir produced during the time before European contact through the present. The act of writing about oneself arrived in the Americas with the European colonizers, and at that time, changes occurred in the mode of Native autobiographical storytelling. Anthropologists began to collect, shape and publish Native stories, using European languages and the written form rather than oral storytelling. During the twentieth century, Native writers who have been considered “authors” who generate “literature” have worked with the traditional storytelling mode to varying degrees. We will examine the role of contemporary Native autobiography, memoir and essay within the larger body of writing being produced.
AIS 466: Producing Documentary Shorts
VLPA; A-term, MTuWTh 9:10 – 11:50; Professor Daniel Hart
Explores documentary theory, methods, and aesthetics. From humanities, social science, and Indigenous studies perspectives, students critique a self-produced documentary, looking at methodology, perspective, and ethics. Students also explore pre-production, production, and post-production documentary techniques.
Hi there!
| April 20, 2011 | Posted by elissa under Uncategorized |
Welcome to the AIS blog. We’ll be using this space for advising updates, community events postings, and other important information. Whether you’re a current student, another member of the UW community, or a friend from outside the university, we hope you’ll check back or add us to your RSS feed.